FOUR winning drives, including taking out the feature Wattle Time Cup and a pair of track records – it was a very good Sunday at Junee for Amanda Turnbull.
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She closed in on 100 winning drives in her home state this season as she dominated Cootamundra Harness Racing Club’s Carnival of Cups meeting, the tally for the The Lagoon native standing at 91 as of Sunday night.
Two of her winning drives came aboard members of her own team – Mach Le More and Alta Mach – while the track records were clocked while doing the driving duties for fellow trainers.
The first of them came in a 1,760 metres Club Menangle Country Series Heat with $1.40 favourite Joes Star Of Mia.
Trained at The Lagoon by Steve Turnbull, Joes Star of Mia was guided three wide early before settling in the death seat.
The four-year-old hit the front down the straight, getting home in a 28.5 seconds split to not only win by a comfortable 6.1m, but clock a track record 1:56.0 mile rate for the trip.
In the feature $14,999 Wattle Time Cup (2,170m), Turnbull claimed the spoils with the Nathan Jack trained Trickys Beaut ($3.70).
A four-year-old son of Christian Cullen, Trickys Beaut flew out of barrier three to take the lead and there he stayed.
He kicked clear of his rivals down the home straight, winning by 5.2m over Blackbird Power ($18.50).
Closing sectionals of 28.9 and 28.5 led to the 1:57.9 record mile rate.
Meanwhile, the upset of the day belonged to Bathurst trainer-driver Greg Rue, who took out the Custodian Invite To The NZ Jewels Pace (2,170m) with $20.90 chance Begging Me Please.
The four-year-old gelding by Abercrombie Dexter out of Verroom began well from barrier five and rolled to the lead with two laps to travel.
From there he went on to win by a comfortable 4.1m over $2.10 favourite Tulhurst Cash, who came from three back on the pegs to snatch second for Nathan Hurst and Angela Hedges.